History Main / KickTheMoralityPet

Compare VillainousBSOD. Also, some may be too far gone for this trope to pull them back to their senses, which will result in an IgnoredEpiphany. See also MinorInsultMeltdown. Not to be confused with [[TheDogBitesBack kicking a dog that was too dangerous to kick]].

They've just hit the nadir of this downward spiral and the start of their return to the straight and narrow. By hurting their friend, possibly the MoralityPet, LoveInterest, or TheChick for extra oomph, they do the one thing capable of prompting a HeelRealization before they do a full FaceHeelTurn (or cement the turn, at least). Cue cries of "WhatHaveIDone?!" and "WhatHaveIBecome!?" while shedding TearsOfRemorse and CradlingTheirKill, they'll say they're sorry and try their hardest to ResuscitateTheDog they've [[KickTheDog just kicked]].

* KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep has [[spoiler: Terra experience this after nearly killing Master Eraqus while trying to protect Ven.]]

* In ElfenLied, what makes Lucy realize that she's not much better than the humans she loathes so much is [[spoiler: when she brutally kills Kouta's sister Kanae in the middle of what's basically a hissy-fit of jealousy.]] While she's still murderous after that [[BreakTheCutie due to other unrelated events]], quite a bit of guilt over said incident remains in her heart.

* Happens in ''NabariNoOu'' when [[MoralityPet Gau]] throws himself in front of Raikou's attack to stop him from [[MoralEventHorizon killing his own little sister, Raimei]]. Complete with Raikou [[CradlingTheirKill cradling Gau]] and crying. [[spoiler: They both get better.]]

** A ReformedButRejected [[spoiler: Zuko]] wants to join [[{{AvatarTheLastAirbender}} Aang's]] Nakima. He goes to Toph, as she is the only one willing to consider letting him in, and then [[spoiler: [[{{WhatAnIdiot}} accidentally burns the soles of her feet]], which she needs to see.]]

** There's also an event that took ''years'' to build up. Katara inadvertently ends up learning "blood bending", controlling the water in someone's very bloodstream to turn them into a puppet. Realizing the [[{{Squick}} horrible possibilities]] of this kind of talent, especially when she's forced to use it to stop the twisted old lady who taught her the technique, she vows never to use it again... Until Zuko leads her on the path of the one that led the raids that took all the water benders from the Southern Tribe and killed her mother. After years of sorrow and mourning, que one RoaringRampageOfRevenge, that ends with her using blood bending to almost make the man responsible kill himself. [[spoiler:Then she finds out, this guy is that admiral's REPLACEMENT. The actual admiral is now an old, retired man, leading a miserable life [[MyBelovedSmother in his mom's house.]] She finally lets go of the hate; he'd rather she just kill him. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Or his mom. "That's fair! Right?"]]]]

* Happens in ''NabariNoOu'' when [[MoralityPet Gau]] throws himself in front of Raikou's attack to stop him from killing his own little sister, Raimei. Complete with Raikou [[CradlingTheirKill cradling Gau]] and crying. [[spoiler: He gets better.]]

* Kanaka in NarueNoSekai. A victim of TimeDilation, she's missed a couple of decades. After she realizes that everyone she knew is now completely different, she freaks out and tries to run off. Narue, determined to befriend her (technically older) sister, runs after her. Kanaka pulls a laser gun to try to frighten Narue off, and after a brief tussle, Kanaka completely unintentionally shoots her. Fortunately it was a non-lethal gun to begin with, but it's still enough to get Kanaka to thoroughly regret her actions. Well, that and some manly tears from Kazu.

* In the {{World Destruction}} manga, [[LadyofWar Mo]][[{{Yangire}} rte]] finished her job in a city where the beastmen were eating humans. After berating [[TheHeart Ky]][[TheMessiah rie]] of doing something reckless, she blows up the entire city that they just saved for [[FortheLulz the fun of it.]] This action [[BewaretheNiceOnes causes Kyrie to snap at her]] and he leaves the group which causes the group to split up (with [[EverythingisWorseWithBears Toppi]] and [[NobleDemon Naja]] going with him and [[OnlySaneMan Agan]] staying with Morte.) When he comes back, he throws the gun that she gave him to defend himself on the ground telling her that he doesn't need it anymore since he's not coming back. Cue, [[GoMadFromtheRevelation she snaps]] and attacks him proving Kyrie's point why he can't stay with her. Thankfully Toppi and Naja stopped her attack.

* In the YearInsideHourOutside series finale of ''StargateSG1'', Vala Mal Doran decides to finally act on her feelings toward Daniel and begins shamelessly flirting with him, even going so far as to start taking her clothes off in an effort to seduce him. Daniel, however, thinks that she's only doing this because they're stuck together, and tears into her with a lengthy rant about all her shortcomings and how with their bad individual histories, they're totally unsuitable for each other. He's quite surprised when this reduces Vala, who ''does'' genuinely care about him, to tears; this makes him realize that he returns her feelings, and [[SexyDiscretionShot they soon decide to see]] if they ''can'' sustain a relationship. Aside from [[spoiler: a miscarriage and their being stuck on a ship for fifty years]], it goes pretty well. Until it [[ResetButton doesn't happen.]]
** Waitwaitwait. A [[spoiler: ''miscarriage''?]] ''WHEN''?
** Apparently, [[spoiler: when Daniel holds a sobbing Vala, it's because she had a miscarriage.]] It's WordOfGod.

* Parodied in both ''AceVentura'' and ''NakedWeapon'': The protagonist is trying to convince the others that the ReasonableAuthorityFigure is actually a villain in disguise and CrossesTheLineTwice while trying to prove it. [[spoiler: In the case of AceVentura, he's actually ''right''.]]

*** Still holds true however because the kid suffers a [[TearJerker massive]] MyGodWhatHaveIDone.

*** And thanks God for that. Can you imagine if they had had a healthy (and by the time of them finding a way out) 40 year old child that would be erased out from existance had they succedeed with thei plan? Cue Angst.

** Not entirely accurate. He's already met a Firebender who is relatively good. What Aang learned was a healthy respect for the DANGERS of Firebending, and that the hard part isn't making fire but controlling it. He's resolved to not use Firebending until he's learned properly from a master.
*** That's incorrect. He tells the Guru that he doesn't ever want to learn firebending. He later acknowledges that he has to learn firebending, but is still reluctant. It doesn't help that his first firebending master believed in BadPowersBadPeople and would have prefered to not have any bending power.

* KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep has [[spoiler: Terra experience this after killing Master Eraqus while trying to protect Ven.]]

** Technically the kid was just about to drop the gun and not shoot anyone anyway (Frieda and Richie talked him out of it). Richie was shot because ''just as the kid was about to give up the gun'', the bully's idiot friends tackled him which made him accidentally squeeze the trigger.

* Just like the comics, ''SpiderMan'' 3 movies has [[spoiler: Peter Parker]] turn into a douchenozzle thanks to the alien symbiote turning him aggressive. He eventually goes on a date with Gwen Stacy (after getting dumped by Mary Jane), walks into the bar MJ is working at and proceeds to enter a [[{{Narm}} hilarious]] song and dance meant to humiliate her. Finally the bouncer gets fed up and tries to throw him out. Peter easily deflects him, but also instinctively knocks MJ down when she tries to grab him. Peter suddenly realizes the symbiote is controlling him and tries to get rid of it.

* In the {{World Destruction}} manga, [[LadyofWar Mo]][[{{Yangire}} rte]] finished her job in a city where the beastmen were eating humans. After berating [[TheHeart Ky]][[TheMessiah rie]] of doing something reckless, she blows up the entire city that they just saved for [[FortheLulz the fun of it.]] This action [[BewaretheNiceOnes causes Kyrie to snap at her]] and he leaves the group which causes the group to split up (with [[EverythingisWorseWithBears Toppi]] and [[NobleDemon Naja]] going with him and [[OnlySaneMan Agan]] staying with Morte.) When he comes back, he throws the gun that she gave him to defend himself on the ground telling her that he doesn't need it anymore since he's not coming back. Cue, [[GoMadFromRevelation she snaps]] and attacks him proving Kyrie's point why he can't stay with her. Thankfully Toppi and Naja stopped her attack.